Steward Health Care Malta aims at the health minister on the concession
Steward Health Care Malta said it was surprised by the statements of the Minister of Health in the Maltese Parliament in support of the current contractual terms of the hospital concession, “which have been widely recognized by independent observers – both in ‘Malta as well as in the European Union – all of them. inappropriate and inappropriate. “
Health Minister Chris Fearne had said that Steward Health Care was fully bound by the terms of Vitals Global Healthcare’s original contract for the management of the three state hospitals, and that the government was waiting. with an interest in the outcome of court proceedings.
In a statement, Steward said: “Two different administrations with the same Minister of Health for three consecutive years (2019, 2020 and 2021), have negotiated full agreements with Steward Malta specifically to replace the defective original concession agreed with Vitals Global. Healthcare (VGH) on a viable basis – clearly recognizing that the current framework cannot work. “
The company said that “unfortunately, the Government failed to finalize these agreements, meaning that the Maltese people could not fully benefit from the outcome of a viable concession. The Government’s early commitment to negotiate The new hospital has now been successfully completed. “
“The minister’s view contradicts that of the National Audit Office, whose review found that the terms of the concession were based on incorrect information, and that the data provided on its cost structure it was not accurate from the moment the tender was issued. “
Steward Malta states that a defective baseline payment structure is untenable and has created a non-viable and unfundable Private-Public Partnership (PPP) from the outset. “The origin of these terms as negotiated with the VGH and the reasons for their presence are under investigation, a period which did not involve Steward Malta.”
“The minister also contradicts the view of the European Commission, which has been written to the Government in several investigations over several years, that the concession does not fall within the parameters of the PPP as dictated by the rules of the As a result, the concession has been put back on the balance sheet of the Government of Malta, meaning that Steward Malta has not been able to finance and build new hospital facilities.On several occasions since 2018 , the Government informed the EU that a negotiated solution was underway with Steward Malta, but a conclusion has yet to be reached. “
The shortcomings of the original plans meant that the Maltese people did not benefit from adequate facilities, said Steward Health Care. “For example, the planned Barts Medical School within the Gozo General Hospital campus was not fit for purpose, and Barts made it clear that they will not establish a base in Malta if the facility is not built in Gozo. a level appropriate to world – class education. . Steward Malta has worked with Barts to build a substantially larger medical school than anticipated in the concession, but without additional compensation, and in record time. Through this concerted effort, Steward Malta has helped to cement Barts’ entry into Malta. “
“These problems alone make it impossible to deliver certain aspects of the concession, and have undermined Steward’s ability to fulfill its obligations. However, Steward Malta has worked hard to invest in its facilities and people. for the benefit of Maltese patients and, according to the minister, services have improved significantly under Steward’s leadership Steward Malta has continued to invest in all of its hospitals, including during the single challenge period. of the pandemic, with results that have improved the experiences of patients and staff. “
“When Steward Malta was asked to take over the concession, the Government of Malta delivered its representations and commitments which were never kept. These are on record. Steward Malta is abiding by the substance of the original contract. to the extent possible in this context, and only seeks to ensure that the Government complies with its part of the agreement as well. “